Youth Outreach and Programming Specialist

Description

The Source is Elkhart County's system of care. The Source is hosted by Oaklawn. The partners of The SOURCE work to ensure kids and families who need services are connected to resources quickly and efficiently.

Position Purpose: The SOURCE recognizes that while many youths are accessing the services that they need to maintain good mental health and to overcome mental health challenges, many more are not. This position will go to places where youth are, forming relationships, providing insight and programming, and walking with youth when they need to enter more formal mental health and related services.

This work will be conducted in the following core areas:

• Forming and maintaining relationships with youth in partner organizations and schools
• Developing and conducting youth suicide prevention and other relevant programming
• Relate to Youth Advisory Board
• Other collaboration & special projects

Responsibilities

• Forming and maintaining relationships with youth in partner organizations and schools 40%
• Spend time at CBOs, schools, and partner organizations getting to know youth
• Provide training and educational opportunities related to mental health, trauma, and related issues
• Appropriately refer youth into MH and related services
• Navigate through referral process with youth and follow up to ensure that referral has been successful, and youth are successfully engaging services
• Make contact with new and existing system of care partners to support the value of youth voice
• Collaborate with system of care partners and SOURCE staff on how to cultivate youth voice within their organizations/communities

Qualifications

Minimum Hiring Requirements:

Academic:

• YOPS I: does not require GED or High School Diploma
• YOPS II: GED or High School Diploma required
• YOPS III: Bachelor’s degree or equivalent experience required

Experience: Prefer to have a person who has received or is receiving behavioral and/or mental health services or has helped a family member navigate various aspects of mental health services. Leadership experience preferred.

Other Requirements:

• Language: Strong writing and verbal communication skills including the ability to read, analyze and interpret information. Ability to use proper grammatical editing and proofreading. Ability to respond to routine inquiries from consumers. Bilingual ability is a plus.
• Math: Ability to apply concepts such as averages, ratios, fractions, and percentages to practical situations.
• Reasoning Ability: Ability to work as a member of a team, and to utilize high level organizational skills. Ability to solve practical problems and deal with a variety of concrete and/or abstract variables where only limited information or standardization exists. Ability to interpret a variety of instructions furnished in written or verbal form. Ability to prioritize projects or assignments based on limited supporting information and to develop creative alternative solutions.
• Physical Demands: The physical demands described here are representative of those that must be met by an employee to successfully perform the essential functions of this position. The employee must have the physical ability to consistently and competently perform the essential functions of the position, with or without reasonable accommodation. Reasonable accommodation may be made to enable individuals with disabilities to perform the essential functions.
• Unique Competencies Required for this Position: Ability to work with youth including those in challenging situations. A willingness to hear from youth and refer to appropriate services including crisis services. Willingness to stay with youth until a safety plan is made or other adults take over. Values collaborative partnerships with youth and professionals and actively seeks to build them. Ability to recognize and understand multiple points of view. While performing the duties of this job, the employee is regularly required to communicate with youth serving organizations.
• Must have reliable transportation and appropriate insurance; ability to maintain a flexible schedule; and ability to travel and be away from home overnight may be required. The employee is frequently required to stand; walk; reach; bend; use hands to finger, handle or feel objects, tools or controls; reach with hands and arms. The employee is occasionally required to sit. This position must frequently lift and/or move up to 10 pounds and occasionally lift and/or move up to 40 pounds.
• Specific vision abilities required by this job include close vision, distance vision, color vision, peripheral vision, depth perception and the ability to adjust focus. The employee is required to have fine motor skills for legible and accurate writing of reports, charting, scheduling and correspondence.

Contact Information